Cutting up (and getting rid of) a cold water storage tank in the loft.

[Mr.B]

As per the title ..... I have mains jigsaws with wood and metal blades, a mains full size circular saw with wood blade, a mains mini-circular saw (85mm blades) and have both wood and ceramic tile blades for it.

I don't have a reciprocating saw - I've gone through life without one. You can get a decen tmains one for not a vast sum but I might not use it much.

What have people used in the past to cut the tank up in the loft without spreading the chippings forom the saw all over the insulation ? Obviously I would use a plastic sheet to catch the majority.

And can you yake the bits to the tip?

Ta.

 

[ianmcd]

be carefull it is not asbestos

 

[HERTS P&D]

Post a picture of the tank.

Andy

 

[Mr.B]

It's very securely wrapped in insulation, not keen to undo it all and replace. But it's black plastic. Fitted in 1996 so could be a brittle. A full size CWST. There's an F&E header tank up there too which will come out but that's obviously less of a beast.

(do these things ever start to leak on their own for no apparent reason? The installer that visited yesterday was keen to see them gone and replaced with either an unvented cylinder or a combi ... but that's another issue)

 

[Jurassicspark]

I used a hand saw to cut my plastic tank. It was on a summer day.

 

[Mr.B]

Enclosed pics of the lid.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Well if you are removing the tank, why dont you want to remove the insulation?

Andy

 

[HERTS P&D]

Jigsaw will be fine.

Andy

 

[Mr.B]

Because it's currently full of water. It's in use. I don't want to cut it up today.

 

[Mr.B]

Ah ... right .... a jigsaw. That's fine.

I have a selection of them and blades to go with them.

The installer mentioned recip. saw and an angle grinder. I have a brace of them too but had visions of the plastic melting.

 

[Tigercubrider]

What advantage is there in removing it?
Many people just leave the old tank up there, The space you gain is not worth the effort to cut it up.

 

[Mr.B]

Quite simply ... I don't want to see it every time I go up there. I keep a tidy loft with everything where I like it to be and would far sooner it wasn't there. It's not uncommon to see people store their old sofa in their front garden - I'd sooner my old sofa went over the tip

 

[oldbuffer]

1. You may well find that once it's empty the lid can be removed and the tank folded up enough to go through a loft opening.
2. Otherwise use the jigsaw with a wood blade, or a hard tipped carpenter's saw, or tin snips.
3. Polythene down is likely to be the best you can do re dust collection. Trying to saw into the tank from outside is likely to contain chippings better than cutting from the inside out.

 

[Mr.B]

^^^ I'm very grateful for that advice, oldbuffer. I have tin snips - wouldn't have thought of that. Wil lalso remember to see if it folds up.
I've plenty of jigsaw blades of all sorts. And I have sheets, including polythene.

Very helpful, ta.

 

[opps]

I wouldn't want to jigsaw that. The jigsaw may well end up bouncing a lot.

Snips sound like a better option.